Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Cairo for talks with his Egyptian counterpart. Putin, making his second visit to Egypt in many years, held talks with his Egyptian counterpart on their countries’ rapidly expanding ties.

In announcing Putin’s visit to Egypt, the Kremlin said on December 7 that he and President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi will discuss stability and security in the Middle East, among other things.

Egypt’s official Al-Ahram newspaper reported that a final deal to build a nuclear plant in the North African country will be inked during Putin’s visit. The two countries are reportedly in the late stages of negotiations over the construction by a Russian company of Egypt’s first nuclear energy reactor.

On the other hand, Egypt’s president Al-Sisi has visited Russia three times since the ouster of his Islamist predecessor in 2013. After taking office, Al-Sisi has bought billions of dollars’ worth of Russian weapons, including fighter jets and assault helicopters.

On a visit to Cairo on November 29, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu praised what he called the “positive dynamics in the military-technical sphere” and emphasized the need to strengthen cooperation in fighting terrorism.